Biography

Doug Dexter is the immediate past chair of the American Bar Association Labor and Employment Law Section, a fellow in the American College of Labor & Employment Lawyers, and a former president of the Northern California Human Resources Association. Doug also served more than 15 years as chair of Farella's Employment Practice. These roles, coupled with four decades of practicing California employment law, have informed Doug about the status and trends of that law, as well as the value of listening to client priorities, collaborating with a diverse team of legal professionals, and communicating positions toward resolution of employment-related disputes.

Doug specializes in advising and representing large employers, particularly in the technology industry. He helps these clients reach decisions of first impression that will support client goals over time and application to employee populations, consistent with the client’s workplace ethos and brand. These decisional contexts range from drafting policies to resolving individual employee circumstances.

In litigation, Doug communicates with clients, lawyers, and courts to reconcile facts, law, and party priorities toward resolution – whether through negotiation, summary judgment, or trial. A lifetime early adopter, Doug strives to leverage technology for more efficient and material evidentiary analysis.

The subjects of Doug’s experience, advice, and litigation span the unique dictates of California employment law, including wage and hour, accommodation, discrimination, workplace privacy, collective action, competition, trade secrets, contingent workforces, and agreements to commence, compensate, and sever employment. Doug consistently litigates individual, class and PAGA actions. Raised in San Francisco, educated in San Diego, and initially officed in Los Angeles, Doug has spent his career resolving employment disputes in venues across California.

As a professional leader, Doug has benefited from mentoring and working with diverse talented teams of attorneys, both within and outside of Farella. Doug recognizes that supporting legal profession diversity, as well as independent thought among newer lawyers, enhances legal analysis and client service — and creates a more competent and admirable profession.

Distinctions

  • Best Lawyers in America, Litigation - Labor and Employment, Employment Law - Management (2018-2023)
  • Benchmark Litigation, Labor & Employment Star (2019-2023)
  • Northern California Super Lawyers in Employment & Labor since (2006-2024)

Memberships and Affiliations

  • Chair, ABA, Labor and Employment Law Section (Present)
  • Vice-Chair, ABA, Labor and Employment Law Section (August 2019-2021)
  • Fellow, American College of Labor & Employment Lawyers (2015-present)
  • Budget Co-Chair, ABA, Labor and Employment Law Section (2017-2019)
  • Governing Council Member, ABA, Labor and Employment Law Section (2011-2017)
  • Co-Chair, ABA, Labor and Employment Law Section, Technology in the Practice and Workplace Committee (2005–2007) 
  • President, Northern California Human Resources Association (2005) 
  • Founding Sponsor, San Francisco High School Mock Trial Competition

Firm Highlights

News

Winston Liaw Named a Leadership Council on Legal Diversity Fellow

Northern California legal powerhouse Farella Braun + Martel is proud to announce that Winston Liaw has been named a Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) Fellow for 2024. Winston joins a select group of...

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Publication

Employment Law Update for Nonprofits With Holly Sutton

Welcome to  EO Radio Show - Your Nonprofit Legal Resource . Charities, foundations, and their founders often request help addressing employment practices and compliance questions. In this episode, host Cynthia Rowland is joined by Holly...

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Publication

Nonprofit Basics: Unpacking Prudent Investments, PRIs and MRIs

Welcome to  EO Radio Show - Your Nonprofit Legal Resource . Episode 73 discusses frequently used terms in the nonprofit world pertaining to investment activities. Public charity and private foundation directors and officers need...

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Event

Legal and Insurance Issues Raised by Artificial Intelligence

Tyler Gerking is a speaker at the Bar Association of San Francisco's CLE program "Legal and Insurance Issues Raised by Artificial Intelligence." Session Overview:  2023 saw the adoption and use of AI products skyrocket resulting in increased...

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News

Scraping Battles: Meta Loses Legal Effort to Halt Harvesting of Personal Profiles

Alex Reese spoke to Matt Fleischer-Black of  Cybersecurity Law Report about the Meta v. Bright Data decision and its impact on U.S. scraping case law. Read the article here (paywall or trial).

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News

Lawdragon Names 7 Farella Lawyers Among “Leaders in Environmental Law”

Northern California legal powerhouse Farella Braun + Martel is pleased to announce that seven lawyers were selected to The Lawdragon Green 500: 2024 Leaders in Environmental Law . Farella lawyers selected for inclusion: Sarah...

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Publication

California AI Proposal Rethinks Consumer Scope and Recordkeeping

The California Privacy Protection Agency will revisit its  draft  regulations for automated decision-making technology on March 8, including use of artificial intelligence to process personal information. Comment periods should be coming soon in 2024...

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Publication

Corporate Transparency Act: A Guide on Beneficial Ownership for Nonprofit Executives

The Corporate Transparency Act, enacted as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021, represents a significant shift in regulatory requirements for entities across the United States. This act, set to...

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News

Farella Announces 2024 Leadership Council on Legal Diversity Pathfinders: Taylor Rottjakob and John Ugai

Farella Braun + Martel is proud to announce that senior associates  Taylor E. Rottjakob and John M. Ugai have been named 2024 Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) Pathfinders. Pathfinders have been identified as...

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Publication

Achieving Compatibility Between Solar Project Developers and Mineral Estate Holders

By Dirk R. Mueller , Alyssa Netto , and Will Russ Texas and California lead the country in terms of solar energy generating capacity while also maintaining major oil and gas production operations, which...

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